Elementary Aged KidsYour little ones have grown up right before your eyes! They are no longer those little babies they once were, and soon they are moving to adolescence.
Hello My name is Jennifer. I have a daughter named Katie who started 1st grade yesterday. You would not believe the homework she brought home last night and what is expected of her this first week. She had to learn how to read and spell five spelling words (there are 5 each night ending with a spelling test and reading test on fri---a total of 20) Had to learn the written numbers through five. Read a book and write the title, author, and 2 sentences about the book. Write her name two times. and memorize some character poem that was 5 lines.
What I am wondering : is this the normal workload for the first week of 1st grade? By the way, my daughter is in a special class called EIP / early intervention program. It only has 11 students who need the extra help. Jenni
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children are the future, teach them well and let them lead the way
Jennifer, that seems like alot to me, but I don't know. I've got a four year old and will be following this thread with much interest. Good luck to you and your daughter.
I always thought that my ds was given way to much H.W. He is an average student with loads of energy. When he gets home from school he has to do something to burn up his "bottled" energy from the day. Then he eats dinner, etc. By the time he gets homework done, it's shower time, then bed time.
I asked the teachers about the amount of homework, etc. (even in his earlier years), and I was told that it was to reinforce what they learned during the day, etc.!!!!
Well, that's my two cents!!! And good luck with the homework!!! My dd and ds start school on the 26th!!!!
Today I had to go up to the school to get Katie's book log, she forgot. I ended up having a conferance with the teacher. (we have to have a conferance every two weeks) Well I mentioned the work load and she said that it is actually half of what the mainstream classes are getting. However though she is recommending Katie for speech therapy, tutor, and the after-school academy. These are all state funded programs to help her. The homework didn't take as long as I thought it would last night, But those words......she will never learn all those words by fri. jenni
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children are the future, teach them well and let them lead the way
That does seem like a lot exspecially for the first week. She is also in a special class that doesn't seem right. My first grader really hasnt brought home any real homework yet. She had to right down stuff about herself. But thats about it. Don't they realalize they are sending home "parent work"
First grade is way different then Kindergarden. I don't understand why they are giving her that much work. Anyways good luck and if it becomes a real problem talk to the principal or go even higher.
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Ashley Mcnatt
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Mother is the word for God on the lips of all children.
My boys just started first grade 3 weeks ago and they are in a normal class. It seemed like they have a lot to do, but not in the first week. I have twins and each of their teachers isn't going to start spelling or librarty book reports until the 5th week. They will only have to learn I think 5 words but I could be wrong. I can't believe that she has to learn 20 words per week! That seems ridiculous and doesn't seem like she would be able to learn them easily. The school here said that they will do a pre-test on Monday to see if the kids can spell their words already then they will do a sample test in the middle of the week and a final test on Fridays. It seems like that would be the best way to learn. They also have to read a book every night and write something about the story. Also, once a week they have to take home their library book and do a small report on it. One of my boys has to present his book report to the class on a specific day of the week. I feel somewhat overwhelmed by all this as it's tough to keep up with who has to turn in what on what day.
I really think that your child is expected to do too much too soon. Especially for being a special needs child. I would definitely discuss it with the principal just to see if that is appropriate. I hope it all works out for you and hang in there!
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Well the week has ended. The teacher didn't send home the graded test yet. I asked Katie and she said she didn't have to write the words. She said the teacher said a word and she had to color that word. I am guessing that each one had two or three words. and she would have to chose the correct word as it is read. That doesn't seem as bad. Maybe since it is my first child in school. The school prides itself as being on of the top schools in the state. we are under the new ga state law "No Child gets left behind" So I will as always I'll will be at the school visiting every week and exchange letters with the techer each week ..
jenni
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children are the future, teach them well and let them lead the way
Don't fret about the ammount of work your daughter is getting. Just set up a homework routine with her, and give her the message that as long as she is trying her best, and enjoying learning new things that you are proud of her.
Please try to remember that a score on a test is just an evaluation of where her knowledge base is right now, so you and her teacher can compare how much progress she will be making as she goes on. And I'm sure she will make fine progress!
My daughters are entering 7th and 3rd grades in September. This ammount of work for a first grader is not that bad! It will probably decrease once the teacher gets a feel for what the kids know and don't know, and once they all settle into their routine. And even if that's not true...their workload is only going to increase as they progress through the grades ahead of them.
My 3rd grader started in an Early Intervention Program in pre-school and is now reading at a 6th grade reading level and doing math at a 5th grade level. ( I'm grinning ear to ear with pride at the moment)
She still requires speech therapy, and some social skills training, she can be a bit "immature". And if it is any reassurance, I STILL have had to drive BOTH of my daughters back to school to retrieve forgotten books or assignments regularly as of last year. (I think think it's just being talkitive, social girls who don't pay enough attention to packing up at the end fof the day!).
I'd only advise complaining about the work load if you really see your child suffering for it...not if only you think it's too much. You'd be surprised at how much pleasure your daughter may take at learning new things and at getting the positive feedback when she does well.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Whatever you decide, I hope First grade is a happy experience for your little girl. It sets the tone for the rest of her school career! Best of luck!
My son just finished up 1st grade and he didn't have homework unless he didn't finish his work during the day. His teacher did send home a calendar with 20 different "homework" choices. If they did 3 homework problems a week, the teacher would give them a prize the end of the month. It seems ridiculous that a first grader should be given the amount of homework that your daughter is being given. Homework should be given in moderation. No more than half an hour to an hour per night. They need to be kids and enjoy themselves. They need the chance to run and have fun.
It seems to me that the school is more worried about test scores than about the childs wellbeing. And the "No child gets left behind" law seems shortsided. What if a child needs to be left back? Some children just aren't ready to move on to the next level.
I'm sorry that I am ranting about this but I frimly believe that children need the chance to be children and imposing an excessive amount of homework at such a young age forces them grow up a lot sooner than they need to.
As a former teacher (at a high achieving private school), I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. Our school policy was to assign approximately 15 minutes of homework for each grade level. So a first grader would have 15 minutes, 2nd grade would have 30 minutes. I taught 4th grade, so they had 1 hour. Of course, some days were heavier than others, but as a rule we tried to stick with that amount. They were also expected to spend 15-20 minutes each night reading in a book of their choice.
In informal surveying of parents I would find that some children were finishing the assigned work in 30 minutes; others took an hour and a half. Every child works and learns differently. Part of the goal of homework is to teach/practice good work habits. But I also made concessions for my special needs kids (for example, allowing their parents to determine if they had mastered the math skill after doing 5 problems instead of the 10 assigned).
I agree with the other posters who encouraged you not to panic yet, but keep an eye on things. Often I would have parents so concerned about things that their kids were taking in stride. Try not to convey your concern to your child. Give her a chance to see what she can accomplish first.
My daughter starts 1st grade on the 26th, so I will be interested to see how much homework she comes home with.
Lauri
That does seem like a lot exspecially for the first week. She is also in a special class that doesn't seem right. My first grader really hasnt brought home any real homework yet. She had to right down stuff about herself. But thats about it. Don't they realalize they are sending home "parent work" 
